Son of the Force
by Suzotchka
Summary: A stowaway child is a lot closer to the command staff than any one knew. With his arrival, old conflicts reopen risking the complete breakup of the command staff in the middle of the greatest war of a thousand years
1. Default Chapter

Son of the force

The child, not more than five years old crept on to the station. He was tired, hungry and lost, very much wishing that he had never left the security of his great grandmother's home in Saint Petersburg. He had left to find his mother, who worked on the station. He had never met her, just spoke regularly to her through letters and the comm channel. Yet she was his mother and he did love her. Wanting to be with her, the child had slipped onto a liner to Babylon 5. It had not been simple. He was supposed to be in school. He had mentioned his mother to several of his friends, one of whom had an older brother. The brother had promised to get him on a ship for a certain amount of money. The child's allowance from now until the end of the year to be exact. In his simple mind, the older boy could do anything and he had trustingly handed over his life savings and a promise for more to come and was given a stolen pass to Babylon 5.

Doing as the older boy instructed he had packed a bag for himself with a few sets of clothing, night clothes and undergarments, a blanket and his prized bear his mother had made for him, food and money. In the morning he had switched this bag for his school bag when he left. When he arrived at school, he was taken to the station and boarded onto a liner with a stolen ticket. The conductor was a friend of the older boy's and often helped him hide illegal passangers.

The last three days had been wearying for the boy. How he had managed to hid was a miracle. Everyone on the liner had thought he belonged to some one else and he had kept very quiet. Now the liner was being emptied as it had reached it's destination.

He took his bag and followed the other passengers. They were all lining up. He lined up too; he thought he was at school. The line moved forward. At last he was at the front. A bald man in a black uniform said without looking up, " Identicard."

It was a relatively slow day considering they were in the middle of two wars. For the first time in a long while Michael Garibaldi had time to see to the details of the station. He made his rounds and had come to customs. Relieving the officers for a coffee break, he took there place. It had been a while. Without looking up he said, "Identicard."

There was a pause. Michael looked up. There was no one there. " What is an identicard?" asked a young accented voice. He looked down. A small child stood in front of him. He looked oddly familiar.

" Where are your parents?"

" Mama is on Babylon, I am going to find her." He said with childish confidence.

" Do you have any one with you?"

" I told you I am looking for Mama."

" All right all right, where is your card kid?"

" What card?"

" Without your identicard, you cannot board, You will have to leave."

They boy hesitated, than as Michael started to speak again, dashed off into the crowd.

" Damn," Michael swore, running after him , " Garibaldi to security..."

Stephen stared at the child in front of him, who sat on the med lab bed as Stephan analyzed his test results. When pressed, he had only given his first name. His features looked oddly familiar, Stephen thought as he handed the child a glass of juice.

The test results came in, Stephen read over them before gasping in shock and hitting his comm link, " Franklin to Ivanova and Sheridan, Report to Medlab 1 now."

" Allright, you found a child who has stowed away on board. What does that have to do with us? It really is your and Michael's department." said the tired looking Commander Ivanova.

" Yes, but it does concern both of you. The child's parents were not with him and he only told us his name was Andre"

There was a slight difference in the Commander's expression at the name. The doctor chose to ignore it for the moment. The captain failed to notice it. " Go on" he urged.

" We tested the child, and the results came back showing that there is a 99.99 chance that his parents are John Sheridan and Susan Ivanova."


	2. Son of the Force 2

Son of the Force

A hush fell over the four. Michael had joined them. John stood speechless. When he finally regained his senses he spat out, " It can't be ..."

" Can't it?" Stephen asked, directing the Captain's attention to the room where ever one in Med lab's were. The Commander, upon hearing the news had rushed into the room. The child had seen her and squealed, " Mama!" and jumped off the bed and into her arms. She had laughed and held him, murmuring softly to him in Russian as her responded in sobs. The Commander's eyes filled with tears that slipped involuntarily from them. She wiped them laughing.

" Mama, Mama, I know I wasn't supposed to come, I just wanted to see you, I am sorry..."

" Shhh, it is all right, Thanks be to God you are safe," the child's mother interrupted. She held him and they hugged some more.

Sheridan stared at the reunion. " No, ..." he muttered, his face clearly saying it very well could have happened. " Damn her, who the hell does she think she is keeping this secret? I have a right to know."

" So it is possible." Michael muttered under his breath, " Ivanova and Sheridan, there is one I would have never thought." He hushed under the Captain's glare.

The Commander and Andre came out of the room, son clutching his mother, " Who the hell do I think I am?" She asked incredulously " Who the hell do you think you are, demanding a one night stand and leaving me to deal with the consequences?" She screamed in reply to his yelling.

Med lab began to clear around them. Michael and Stephen too backed away a little as they tried to mediate. Andre clung to Susan's leg even harder, crying now.

" You never told me, I had the right to know." he bellowed.

" You have no rights, your forfeited any rights you had the way you acted that night. He is my son and I will raise him." With that she left, taking her son with her. The staff parted for her and quietly returned to work afterwards.

John sighed, his face red with anger and shock. Michael fetched a chair and Stephen a glass of water. Seeing the captain settled, Michael left to tend to Andre's paper work and the charges, intending to have them discretely dropped. Stephen shared the silence with John for several minutes. After these minutes, John began to speak of his own accord.

" It was a month after Anna died. I was the captain there. I had locked myself up in my quarters. The XO ran the station. Power hungry one, always trying to butter me over, never there when I needed him. Susan was though. She was a Lieutenant then. She would come by every evening after her shifts, generally bringing something for me to eat then and then something to last me the next day. She would tidy up a bit and even do a bit of laundry, knowing I wasn't up to it. Normally, I just sat there ignoring her. That day I wanted to connect. I was angry, suicidal even, I wasn't even sure what I wanted. When she arrived I spoke carelessly of taking my own life, threateningly even. She tried to calm me, tried to contact the doctor but I wouldn't let her. I told her, and I don't know what drove me to do this., I told her..."

He paused, looking ashamed. Stephen motioned for him to continue. " I told her to sleep with me or else I would kill myself. She tried to contact someone, but I wouldn't let her. I was wild, I guess she believed me, I was serious. Afterwards, I fell asleep. When I woke, everything was tidy, anything I could use to kill myself with was gone and so was she."

" I don't know how she hid it, because she was there a year longer. Anyway we never spoke of it, when I was better we resumed our friendship. She never told me about the boy. I should have known. Damn it I had the right to know!"


	3. Son of the Force 3

Son of the Force

Susan looked at the child, sleeping on the other side of her bed. She had taken his belongings when she stormed out of med lab. Andre had been exhausted and she had fed him, bathed him and dressed him before putting him to bed. She knew she should get up, there were a million things for her to do. But she couldn't tear herself from his side. She had longed for this day since the day she had given birth to him at the IO. That same day he had been sent to his great grandmother, Susan's maternal grandmother, who into her 80's was both lucid and capable of caring for a child. She was a stubborn old woman. Susan suspected she would be one to die quietly in her sleep; age would not interrupt her life. Even now she ran a dance studio for girls. Her students were renown throughout the galaxy. Susan was rather like her in some ways. However, aside from the fact that the woman had been mother to her dead daughter's daughter , Susan loved the accepting streak in her that allowed her not to condemn Susan for her immoral conduct. It was a mother's nature, to accept when no one else will. Not even father's, of course Susan and her father had not spoken from the time she left as a teenager to his dead a few years earlier. He could not have been told. He wouldn't have understood. Still, he was her father, and she had loved him, naming her child after him.

She rose then, moving to the computer. It would be hard to contact her grandmother on Earth, with the war, but she could send a message to an associate, who would then send a message on ward until the message reached her grandmother. It would be short however, much like telegraph messages in the early twentieth century and to the point. She would write a long letter which could be taken to Earth by one of the many Rangers who were on Earth, or near Earth for a mission. That complete, she moved back into her bedroom, clearing space in her closet for her son's belongings. Career military herself, all her clothing was ironed to the point of creaseless ness as soon as they were cleaned and then hung neatly in her closet. Her son's clothing, having been stuffed in a bag for several days was full of wrinkles. She washed all the clothing, modern technology allowed it to be completed with in fifteen minutes. While she waited, she sat resting, deciding that after all the time she had wasted that day, a few more minutes would not hurt, even though there were many reports waiting for her attention. She pulled out her Torah, but instead of reading from it, held it, finding comfort from the old leather as she thought. Her emotions were wild. Aside from joy and elation, which had held her while her son was awake, she was filled with doubt and anger. Doubt on how she would raise a child. What if her child suffered because of mistakes she made, or because of her life style, or because of the war. It had been another reason she had sent the child away, because she could not bear hurting him. And anger too, her child had been missing for days, but because of the war, and Clarke, she had not know until she had found him. What if he had not been found, what could have happened until she had found out. Her grandmother had been worried for nearly four days, and would be so for as many more until word reached her. Susan in her temper, did not think that perhaps it was a blessing she had not known as there was nothing she could have done, besides all is well that ends well.

She took the clothes out of the cleaning unit and ironed them, smiling at what a motherly thing to do this was. As she completed each garment she hung it in her closet. There were only a few things. She would buy some more for him tomorrow. That done she took a long bath and changed, curling next to her son. What would she do with him. She could enroll him in Kindergarten of course. But her days began long before school time and ended long after school let out. Even though she had just reunited with her son, she could not take a day off the next day. They were fighting a war. It had been so long since she had had a rest. She felt so tired. The day's events made her feel as if she were a hundred. Her back ached, sore from her child's birth, when hiding her pregnancy had required her to work full time, her job as now, was an active one and her back had ached horribly. The pain had never gone away. It was worse these days, with the 16, 17 hour days she was pulling, running around all day, sometimes at night as well, when she strained her tired eyes to read the reports.

She put a hand to her back, rubbing it slowly, thinking over the child care problem. And then her mind clicked and she smiled. There was one person on this station who she knew would be good for obtaining anything, even someone to watch her child. It was someone she could trust as well. She pulled herself from Andre's side once more to go to the computer and she contacted him. He answered, surprised to see her, " Marcus," she spoke, " I need a favor..."


	4. Son of the Force 4

Son of the Force

Susan walked into CnC. As she had predicted, Marcus had come to her aid. He had told her of the way the Rangers' children are looked after and being one, was able to obtain permission for Andre to attend. The daycare was more of a twenty four hour care where parents could pick and drop their children as needed. She had left her son there at five thirty with lunch and snacks, before heading to starfury bay where she spent two hours with the pilots, helping in the training and endless starfury repairs and building of new ones. After work with the pilots she reported to C and C arriving an half an hour before her shift as usual.

Everyone stared at her. Yesterdays events were hardly secret. She had only spoken to Marcus about it, and he had been so understanding, so kind, she didn't know what she would have done without him. He had met them at the daycare and introduced himself to Andre and both of them to the minder. She was a ranger. All of them were, they all took turns, whenever they had the time. Marcus volunteered here on a regular basis, Susan was relieved to find out. She signed up for several night shifts, wanting to pull her share and contributed money as well to pay the rent for the area. Last she saw, Andre was being led to a group of children his age and he had waved happily as they welcomed him.

So far, no one had had the nerve to say anything to her, but she knew of the rumors that would be going around. She was already known as " Sheridan's whore" in some circles, this would only further the rumors. She felt as if she were under the scrutiny of dozens of gazes.

It was 0800 now. Alpha shift was reporting for duty. Sheridan entered. The crew parted for him. He wore an expression of anger and determination. He strode over to where Susan stood, directing the rush hour traffic. She ignored him, aside from a brief nod when she caught him in the corner of her eye. That was all the attention she had for him. Oddly it infuriated him even more. " Commander, my office, now."

" Yes sir" Susan said, nearly sighing as she did. She followed him into the corridor and to the left, where the first door was his office, in the exact opposite of her own office. When they arrived she stood at attention while he paced madly, muttering under his breath. " You wished to see me, sir" she asked after a respectful silence.

" Yeah, care to explain?" he asked sarcastically. " I am a father, to a five year old son. Only I didn't know about it until yesterday. And this from the person I thought I could trust."

Susan dropped her at ease stature and began pacing herself, stopping in front of him, angrily. " How dare you blame me that you never knew? You never asked, never gave a damn. Not that night, not ever. You used me when you needed me and then you left me to deal with it. Well I am sick of dealing with it, sick of being every man's whore. You thought you could trust me, well I thought I could trust you too."

" Lying daughter of Jezebel, you hid my son from me."

" No, I hid my son from you. You are nothing to him and you never will be. I am resigning, effective immediately, Computer note." she snapped, then ran from the room. She went to her quarters and calmed herself by reading from her Torah, then showered and changed into civilian clothes before leaving again.

Marcus was in one of the rooms used by the rangers, discussing a situation on Proxima three, where several rangers were stationed under cover. The ranger who was speaking stopped suddenly in the middle of a sentence and looked up. Marcus followed his gaze to the doorway. Susan was standing there, leading against it, her head resting on the metal. Her hands were fidgeting. She was not in uniform, but in her Russian civilian clothing, a long gypsy skirt and vest of navy blue and a peasant blouse, in white. She looked like a child waiting for permission to enter. Marcus silently dismissed the rangers and walked slowly towards her. She came forward a bit then looked at him questioningly, once again seeking permission. She came forth all the way and into his arms, leaning her shaking hands on his chest. She was crying. "Valen, what's wrong?" he asked worried, taking her by the arms. She sobbed a minute before muttering in tears, " John...Andre...father... angry... resigned..."

Marcus chose to say nothing more, allowing her to cry, murmuring that they would work it out.


	5. Son of the Force 5

Son of the Force

Susan stood in the docking area, holding her child by the hand. Her luggage had already been boarded, taken by Security Chief Garibaldi himself, as he begged her to stay. He, Stephen and Marcus were there to see her off. When she had resigned, Marcus had suggested she go to Minbar, where she could live near the Rangers. The idea was not half bad. She would stay in the Ranger compound at first. She had meant to stay in a hotel, but Marcus had insisted that his friends would not allow it. She would buy land and build a house. If enough workers were available, which would be difficult were she not Commander Ivanova of the Interstellar Alliance, she would have a beautiful house with in three or so months. On Earth it could have been quicker, but the Minbari did not take short cuts, it was something she liked about them. She could still help in the war effort and raise her child in peace. Besides, Marcus had hinted that he too would follow after the war.

Stephen and Michael both embraced her and the child, then stepped back a minute, giving Marcus a moment with her. There was a silence which she broke," Thank you for everything."

" You're Welcome" he replied giving her a genuine smile. There was much both would have liked to say, but her shuttle was boarding. She hugged him hard, before slowly letting go and walking into the gateway, still holding the boy by the arm.

John woke the day Susan was to leave. She had not told him herself. It had been a week since she had resigned. They had not spoken since. He missed her, she had been his best friend for so long, had stood by him through this whole mess. Perhaps she hadn't been so wrong. What he had done that day, when she had come to help him had been shameful. Yet she had never held it against him. Their son had been well cared for. John had done nothing for him. She had never asked anything of him, yet he had spoken despicably to her seven days ago. He felt ashamed. He looked at the clock, there was still time. He throw on some clothes and ran out the door.

He reached the bay and looked around desperately. Stephen, Michael and Marcus stood to one corner. He followed there gaze to where Susan was entering the gates, holding their son by the hand. He ran faster, civilians and officers recognizing him and parting for him, " Susan ," he screamed when it appeared he would not make it. She turned at the last second and saw him. She stopped as he ran to catch up, running into the gate where only ticket holders are allowed. No one stopped him. The entire security present was watching, hoping that this command team would not be split. Reaching her he pulled her into a hug, apologizing profusely. She returned the embrace, muttering soothingly, " I know, I know." in response. The final boarding call sounded and she turned to go, " Stay," he begged, holding her hand, even as she tried to pull it out, " We need you, I need you, we can't do this without you." she hesitated, then nodded and allowed him to pull her out of the boarding area. Michael, Stephen, Marcus and he ecstatic as Michael boarded to take her belongings, before hugging her one last time and taking Stephen by the arm dragged him away saying something about throwing a party.

John and Susan sat down on a bench. John took the moment to study his son before pulling him into an embrace. Sensing the two needed to talk, Marcus took Andre with him. "I am sorry." both blurted out and then laughed. " He is amazing." John said and Susan smiled a mother's smile in agreement. " I want to be a father to him." she hesitated and he understood her fear of losing him, " I don't want to take him from you, but I would like to spend some time with him."

Susan nodded. " This weekend?" she asked He agreed reassuring her once again, " Don't worry, you will still see him both days."

" All right" she consented and he smiled, as they both rose and he walked her to her quarters.


	6. Son of the Force 6

Son of the Force

Susan walked to the Captain's quarter's and rang the bell, her face somewhat worried and somber. She held Andre by the hand and a bag of his belongings in the other hand for his first weekend with his father. The child too was worried, for the next two days he would be with a virtual stranger. He clutched his bear in his arms. The door opened. It was John, in civilian clothes, grinning in excitement at the time he would have with his son, nervous at the same time, at how he would do. He quickly ushered them inside, and knelt in front of Andre. " Hey, how are you? Do you know who I am?"

The child nodded. " Papa." John smiled, he was going to say 'Dad' but whatever. The sentiment was the same. And hearing the words from the child's lips filled him with warmth. John took his son by the hand and lead him to the sofa, the child looking to Susan for approval and when it came followed his father. Delenn came forth and took the bag from Susan, a bit uncomfortable in this recent situation with her fiance's son. As they lived together, she would be present nearly all the time. John had offered to ask Delenn to remain in her quarters when the issue of the child visiting came up, but Susan had declined, not wanting to make it an issue with Delenn. Both women were nervous in the other's company. It was the first time they had seen each other since Andre's arrival. Delenn, playing the hostess led Susan to the other sofa and offered her a drink which she declined. For several seconds both sat stiffly. Finally, Delenn broke the ice, " We will take good care of him."

Susan stared at her and nodded, " I know," then ventured, " Are you all right with this?"

" Yes, I never thought I was the first to be with John. I am pleased he has a child, especially since the chances of us having a child are slim, perhaps... perhaps you would allow me to care for him as well, I have no child."

" Of course Delenn I am glad you are all right with this and I would be honored to have help raise my son.. our son. " she said nodding to include Delenn and John, both women smiling towards the father and son, any uneasiness between them gone as the two discussed the merits of baseball, ( John's favorite sport) and cricket ( Andre's favorite sport) comparing and contrasting them. Both women shook their heads, neither interested in sports. Susan rose then and interrupted the sports conversation long enough to kiss her son, who then became uncomfortable and needed reassurance, wave slightly and leave, intending to return to her quarters and drink herself to sleep. She made it all the way to her quarters, before changing her mind, and showering and changing her clothes, headed to a small restaurant where she knew Michael, Stephen and Marcus where at the time.

The three men were in a small restaurant talking amongst themselves, about to order. Stephen was saying, " I cannot believe that we were in a cell, in serious danger and you pick that moment, of all time to start talking about Susan."

" I can't help it, she was what I was thinking about."

" She is what you are always thinking about." Michael replied. The three laughed, enjoying their friendship. Suddenly he stopped and looked up, Marcus and Stephen followed his gaze. Susan had entered. She wore another of her exotic outfits, a burgundy colored tight silk blouse with a Chinese collar and sleeves, and a matching long skirt with slits to her lower thighs. Her matching heels clicked, her lips were painted the same color and her hair was partially bound with a jeweled clip that matched as well. She spotted them and smiled coming towards them. She reached them, and greeted them, which was met by a hearty reply from Michael and Stephen. Marcus just stared, unable to say anything. To their surprise she seated herself next to him, leaning very close and smiled directly at him. The waiter came and she further surprised them by not ordering the alcohol she had intended to consume earlier that evening, but a coke with ice. The men ordered similarly and gave dinner orders as well. Two hours later, it was nearly 23 hundred. Michael and Stephen rose to go. As Susan too followed them, Marcus stopped her, offering to walk her home, fully expecting her to reject, was astonished when she accepted. He took her arm and led her through the door.

On the way, they stopped for a walk in the gardens. Walking around a bit, they came to a bench where they both sat. " How's Andre?"

" Fine, with John and Delenn."

" He will be fine. Rather strong personality, a bit like you, I like him."

" I am glad."

" You seem upset."

" I guess I am just a bit hurt that he and John got along so well, that he didn't need me at all."

" Of course he needs you. He came all the way here looking for you."

" Yes." she agreed then changed the subject, " Tonight was fun."

" I am glad you thought so," Marcus said before hesitating, " because I wanted to ask if perhaps you would like to repeat it, this time alone?" fully expecting to be thrown out of an airlock right about now.

" I would like that." she said genuinely.

Marcus nearly gasped. The woman was full of surprised today. " That is great." They rose and he walked her the rest of the way home.


	7. Son of the Force 7

Son of the Force

Eighteen year old Andre stood in the docking bay, waiting to board the white star which would take him to Minbar, where he would enter training to become a ranger. The wars had ended over ten years ago. Babylon 5 had remained independent. Papa had become the President of the Interstellar Alliance, Mama the vice president. They were both here to see him off, along with Uncle Marcus, Uncle Stephen, Uncle Michael and Aunt Delenn, and the children. Aunt Delenn and Papa had married, and they had their one miracle son. Mama and Uncle Marcus had married, they had 4 children before Uncle Stephen forbade Mama from conceiving again because of the threat on her health. Everyone said their goodbyes before leaving him a minute with Mama and Papa. Papa held him first, embracing him tightly. He then moved to Mama, bending down to hug her. She brushed away rare tears, admonishing him to write often. He nodded before leaving, looking back at them. Papa put his arm around Mama, reassuring her. He looked them over, Papa was near sixty but still had a youthful energy. Mama was just over forty, but her hair remained its natural color and she looked a decade younger. It would be odd in training as the son of the President and Vice President, both of them claiming him, but not married to one another. He would be some what of a hero, but he would also be looked down upon. He squared his shoulders. He was ready.

End

Disclaimer: ( sorry I didn't put this at the beginning ) I own nothing but Andre and the plot. Rest belongs to JMS

Author's note: This is my first story in a long time. I hope you liked it. I know that Unicorn's storybook has been taken off the web but I would appreciate it anyone would let me know if there is anywhere else the stories are. Especially the story called " The Crash" in which Susan is raped and Marcus helps her. But I do like all the stories and would like to know where they are, or if anyone has copies if they would post them on 


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